Ikea Group unveils new sustainability strategy

The strategy is designed to be an integrated part of the Ikea Group long-term growth direction and builds on the Company’s long history of working with sustainability by outlining a new set of goals and actions for delivery up to 2020.

People & Planet Positive has three key focus areas:

Inspiring and enabling millions of people to live a more sustainable life at home, offering products and solutions that help customers to save money by using less energy and water and reducing waste. Examples include: converting all lighting to LED that last for 20 years and use up to 85% less electricity; offering the most energy efficient home appliances on the market at the lowest price; creating low price, functional and easy to use solutions for sorting and minimising waste and using less water at home.

Becoming energy and resource independent, which includes producing as much renewable energy as is consumed in Ikea Group stores and buildings, building on the €1.5 billion allocated to wind and solar projects. It also includes improving the energy efficiency in Ikea Group operations by at least 20% and encouraging suppliers to do the same. Continuously developing the Ikea range, making products more sustainable by ensuring all main home furnishing materials, including packaging, are renewable, recyclable or recycled.

Taking the lead in creating a better life for the people and communities, which includes supporting the development of good places to work throughout the Ikea Group supply chain - encouraging suppliers to not only focus on compliance but also shared values. It also includes going beyond the immediate reach of the supply chain and helping to support human rights.

Mark Kenber CEO, The Climate Group, said: “To accelerate the scale up of clean energy and move to a low carbon economy we need businesses to take decisive and proactive leadership that translates into transformative change. The publication of Ikea’s Sustainability Strategy is to be welcomed as it is a clear roadmap to low carbon sustainability, illustrating how the company will lead a clean industrial revolution across its supply chain, customer base and core business. We urge other businesses to follow Ikea’s lead and place sustainability at the heart of business planning.”

“We want to create a better everyday life for the many people. A better life includes living more sustainably. We have been working towards that goal for many years and have already done a lot, and we are now ready to take the next big step. People & Planet Positive will help us to do that; transforming our business and having a positive impact,” said Mikael Ohlsson, President and CEO, Ikea Group.